FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' SECRECY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13375, 17 March 1909, Page 6

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' SECRECY.

LOCAL OPINIONS. ,/ Mr James Marshall, Grand Master l of the -Manchester Unity branch of ti» 1.0.0. F., which holds a very Jugs position among the Friendly Socies»--of the Dominion, when sOen Ir/*"'. "Press" reporter at Rianjjiofa yesterday, said tho question of any ohaajtj , in ritual or forms had not oomc ">****•. the branch. The Grand Master «J»"' ' Board of Directors did not refer 10 . the question at tho October mocßtifc aud the biennial meeting would not » hold till Easter, 1910. He tlKWfil*. that ns tho old ritual had long SUM* been abandoned, and the Lodges ~tt» in every way conducted in as «uanl» and busine&s-liko maimer as possible, no change was to be anticipated. •**, to making Lodge meetings open » anyone, thero would bo grave objMt tions to discussing the case of a brother deserving of prompt relief from tW " membera, independent perhaps of™* use of the Benevolent Fund. "*!_[ had been many instances where asWSsante had been afforded in a quiet *»7 by Lodges with which he had been connected, and tho parties benefited, w»\ had improved their position, would f«*» - somewhat kccnlv if their circumstaaM* had become public. Ia fact, they mign* so far have shrunk from the possibility of publicity and suffered- in poverty. Again, it was necessary, of course, W make some enquiry into the character of candidates who Bought admission » the benefits of the Order. This «him not bo done with the same rjon£d_tt« at a meeting open to the public. » c j pointed out that it waa duo to the care with which the business relative to new members was conducted that tho in» n ; Chester Unity in his own district ««» become so self-reliant and prospermia.Other business, such as the investment o! fund.s. could not bo considered J» public. Thero must bo a means of iecognition of members, and the pa*' , words were used to keep up n regulJT attendance at Lodges, while the handgrip served to indicate the brat-rep. ono to another. No form of recognition of the fraternal connections M» society could be simpler and 1«M «W of detection by non-members. Mr 3-"-" sball's opinion was that «*«-'* V* change* proposed were needed »■"■*"? in Lodges where the very old !«* Books were used, and antiquated tices might be carried out. 6o ™ T JT he knew", the Manchester Unity in tfl» Dominion bad nothing to improve n*p*» in the conduct of the business, and «« adoption of safeguards to assure. M" brethren of their relationship *» : una ran tee them a* being in with their Lodges, was best preserveby the pass-words and grips. - ..-